Filling feeler mechanism



June 29, 1937.

J. KILLARS, JR

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1936 I INVENTOR. i/o/vw /)7LLAE$, dz.

ATTORNEY.

June 29,- 1937. .1. KILLARS. JR

FILLING FEELER MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2 3, 1936 INVENTOR. L/aH/V n74 LABS,

r M Z ATTORNEY.

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES FILLING FEELER MECHANISM John Killars, Jn, Greenville, S. 0., assignor to' Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application November 23, 1936, Serial No. 112,227

8 Claims.

The present invention pertains to feeler mechanisms for shuttle looms and more particularly to such mechanisms of the so-called. side slipping type.

Feeler mechanisms of the type mentioned commonly include a feeler stand and a feeler blade mounted on the stand for movements forwardly and rearwardly when ample filling supply is present in the shuttle, and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply. The present invention contemplates provision of a feeler mechanism of the type mentioned, wherein a rigid feeler blade is slidably mounted directly on the feeler stand and a spring, preferably a spirally wound spring of the clock type, is positioned at one side of the feeler blade and entirely in the horizontal plane thereof. The spring has one end fixed to the feeler stand and the other end fixed to the feeler blade with the spring under lateral bending stress in a direction to resist both the forward movement and the side slipping movement of the feeler blade. The spring positioned entirely in the plane of the feeler blade is, as will be shown, superior to a prior proposed construction wherein a helically coiled torsion spring was provided withan integral arm constituting a non-rigid feeler blade vertically off-set relative to the spring. The present construction further provides a very simple feeler mechanism with only onespring, which spring may be readily adjusted to provide proper feeler action. -The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown-on the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig; 1 is a perspective view of the feeler mechanism and certainloom parts;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the action of the feeler mechanismwhen the lay is forward and a supply of filling present on the filling carrier;

- Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the action of the feeler mechanism when the filling supply becomes substantially exhausted; and Fig. 4 is a View in cross-section taken approximately on line 44 of Fig. 3.

The drawings show a part of a conventional reciprocating lay I having a'shuttle box 2-for receiving a shuttle 3. The shuttle contains a supply of filling F on a filling carrier which is automatically replaced by a fresh filling carrier whenever the filling supply becomes substantially exhausted. Inasmuch as the present invention is concerned only with the feeler mechanism, for detecting and indicating substantial exhaustion of thefilling supply, the replenishing mechanism and other component mechanisms of the loom are not shown or described. It will be understood, however, that the lay is reciprocated toward and from the front of the loom and that the shuttle is picked from side to side of the loom in the usual manner.

. The feeler mechanism, being of the side slipping type, includes a feeler blade 4 which is positioned horizontally in front of the shuttle box 2 and is provided at its rearward end with a tip 5. The tip 5 enters a slot 6 in the front wall of the shuttle and by contact with the filling supply F prevents the feeler blade from moving laterally when such filling supply is present in the shuttle. At such times, the feeler blade will be moved bodily forward, substantially in a straight line. After the filling supply becomes substantially exhausted, the tip 5,-upon1encountering the filling carrier, will slip sidewise,'which is in a direction longitudinally of the filling carrier and shuttle,

as shown by Fig.3. The side slipping movement of the feeler blade is an indication of substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, which movement results in operation of a control, such as wire I,

for initiating filling rep-lenishment.- The feeler I blade is rigid; in the sense-that it does not flex or bend in its operation. 4

The feeler blade 4 is supported on a stand 8 which is adapted to be fixed to the loom in the usual manner. The stand 8. has a guideway which maybe defined by fixed stop lugs such as the lugs 9, l0, and. vThe lugs 9 and lil are spaced apart in the direction of the side slipping movement of the feeler blade and are on opposite sides of the feeleribladep The stop lug II is .positioned forwardly from the lug l0 and on the same side of the feeler blade. The guideway as thus defined lies in the horizontal plane of movement of the feeler blade, which blade is loosely mounted directly in the guideway. The stops 9 and l I determine the normal erect position of the feeler blade, while the stop I I also constitutes the fulcrum about which the feeler blade turns in its side slipping movement. The guideway may be covered over, as by a plate l2 removably secured to the stand by screws l3, I3 as shown on Figs. 1 and 4.

The invention provides a single spring, positioned at one side of the feeler'blade and entirely in the plane of its movement, which spring is under lateral bending stress ina direction to yieldingly resist both the forward movement and the side slipping movement of the feeler blade. Preferably, this spring constitutes the sole means for resisting said movements of the feeler blade.

The spring I4 shown on the drawings is formed from spring steel, preferably of rectangular crosssection, and is wound into a generally spiral form, as distinguished from a helix. This spring is thus of the clock type.

The spring I4 is positioned on the side of the feeler blade 4 opposite to the side on which the stop I I is located. In the form shown on the drawings, the stand 8 is provided with a concavity defined by an arcuate wall I5. This concavity opens laterally in a direction toward the feeler blade and the spring I4 is entirely housed within the concavity except for the integral projecting arm IS. The outer end of the spring, or of the arm I6 thereof, is secured to the forward end of the feeler blade at a point forwardly from the stop I I. This end of the spring may be so secured by being wrapped around a T-shaped head II on the feeler blade as shown at I8. The inner end of the spring is fixed to the feeler stand within the concavity defined by wall I5.

The inner end of the spring I4, in the form shown on the drawings, is fixed to the feeler stand by being bent and inserted in a slot in a stud II. which is secured to the feeler stand by a screw 20. The stud I9 has a hollow cylindrical body and the screw passes loosely through the stud and is threaded into the fioor of the concavity. The stud IS also may have a radially projecting arm 2I which extends over the top of the wall I5, to serve as. a handle for rotating the stud and also as a visible indication of the rotative position of the stud. The screw 20 is loosened and the stud I9 rotated to place the spring I4 under proper bending stress, whereupon the screw is tightened to fix the stud, and thereby the inner end of the spring, to the feeler stand.

The spring I4 is under bending stress in a direction to urge the feeler blade 4 rearwardly and also to urge the forward portion of the feeler blade laterally against the fulcrum stop I I. When the feeler is idle, the spring I4 will hold the feeler blade in a rearward position determined by engagement of the head IT with the lug I I or the cover plate I2, or both. At such time, the spring will also hold the feeler blade rotated counter clockwise to a position determined'by engagement of the feeler blade with the stop lug 9. This position of the feeler blade is its normal erect position, and the position which it occupies when the tip enters the shuttle to determine the condition of the filling supply therein.

When, on a. detecting beat of the lay, the feeler tip contacts an ample supply of filling in the shuttle, the feeler blade 4 will be moved bodily forward to the position shown by Fig. 2. After the filling supply becomes substantially exhausted, contact of the tip 5-with the bare filling carrier will result in the tip slipping along the filling carrier as shown by Fig. 3. It will be apparent that neither of such movements of the feeler blade requires any very great movement of the spring, wherefore'the spring may operate a very long time without breaking. It will further be apparent that since the spring is entirely in the plane of movement of the feeler blade, it being a spirally wound spring as distinguished from a helical torsion spring, it has no tendency to twist the feeler blade out of proper operative relation to the filling carrier. In, fact, the construction is such that the spring resists any tendency of the feeler blade and tip to twist or move out of the horizontal plane in which it is intended to operate.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler stand, a rigid feeler blade mounted directly on said stand for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, said stand having stop means determining the normal erect position of said feeler blade, a spirally wound spring positioned at one side of said feeler blade entirely in the plane of movement of the latter, the outer end of said spring being fixed to said feeler blade, and means for fixing the inner end of said spring to said stand with the spring under lateral bending stress in a direction to yieldingly resist both said forward sliding movement and said side slipping movement of said feeler blade.

2. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler stand, a rigid feeler blade mounted directly on said stand for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, said stand having a concavity located atone side of said feeler blade in the plane of movement of the latter, a spring housed within said concavity and having an integral projecting arm fixed to said feeler blade, and means for fixing the other end of said spring to said stand with the spring underlateral bending stress in a direction to yieldingly resist both said forward sliding movement and said side slipping movement of said feeler blade.

3. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler stand, a rigid feeler blade mounted directly on said stand for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, said stand having a concavity located at one side of said feeler blade in the plane of movement of the latter, a spirally wound spring housed within said concavity and positioned entirely in said plane, said spring having an integral projecting arm fixed to said feeler blade, and means for fixing the inner end of said spring in said concavity with the spring stressed in a direction to yieldingly resist both said forward sliding movement and said side slipping movement of said feeler blade.

4. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler stand having a guideway and a concavity formed therein in substantially the same horizontal plane, a rigid feeler blade loosely mounted in said guideway for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, a clock-type spring housed within said concavity, said spring having an integral arm projecting laterally toward and fixed to said feeler blade, and means for fixing the inner end of said spring to said stand with the spring stressed in a direction to yieldingly resist both said forward sliding movement and said slide slipping movement of said feeler blade.

5. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler'stand, a rigid feeler blade mounted directly on said stand for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, said stand having fixed stop lugs determining the normal erect position of said feeler blade, and a clock-type spring positioned beside said feeler blade in the horizontal plane thereof, the outer end of said spring being fixed to said feeler blade and the inner end thereof being fixed to said stand with the spring under lateral bending stress in a direction to yieldingly resist both said forward sliding movement and said side slipping movement of said feeler blade, said spring constituting the sole means for resisting said movements of the feeler blade.

6. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms; a feeler stand having fixed stops defining a guideway, a rigid feeler blade mounted directly in said guideway for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling supply in the shuttle, one of said stops constituting a fulcrum about which the feeler blade turns upon occurrence of said slide slipping movement, a clock-type spring positioned on the opposite side of said feeler blade from said fulcrum stop, and means for fixing the inner end of said spring to said stand, the outer end of said spring being fixed to said feeler blade at a point forwardly from said fulcrum stop and said spring being under lateral bending stress in a direction to resist both said forward movement and said side slipping movement of the feeler blade.

7. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a

feeler stand having fixed stops defining a guideway, said stand having a concavity positioned at one side of said guideway in the horizontal plane thereof, a rigid feeler blade, loosely mounted in said guideway for sliding movements forwardly and rearwardly and for side slipping movement to indicate substantial exhaustion of the filling 5 supply in the shuttle, and a clock-type spring housed within said concavity and having its inner end fixed to said stand, the outer end of said spring being fixed to said feeler blade at a point forwardly from said stops, said spring being under lateral bending stress in a direction to yieldingly urge said feeler blade rearwardly'and laterally about one of said stops-as a fulcrum.

8. In a feeler mechanism for shuttle looms, a feeler stand having a guideway including a fixed stop, said stand having a concavity positioned at the opposite side of said guideway from said stop,

a rigid feeler blade loosely mounted in said guideway for sliding movements forwardly and rear- Wardly and side slipping movements about said stop as a fulcrum, and a clock-type spring housed within said concavity andhaving its inner end fixed to said stand, said spring having an integral arm at its outer end, said arm being fixed to said feeler blade with said spring under stress in a direction to urge said feeler blade rearwardly and laterally about said stop in adirection opposite to said side slipping movement. I

JOHN KILLARS, JR. 

